Sound Pharmaceuticals Receives an Office of Naval Research Award for Its Hearing Loss Research and Development

August 19, 2009

SEATTLE, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ — Sound Pharmaceuticals (SPI) has received a $2.1 million research and development award from the Office of Naval Research, Science and Technology Division. This new funding will expand the ongoing development of SPI-1005 in to other areas of sensorineural hearing loss. SPI-1005, an oral form of a glutathione peroxidase mimic, is currently being tested in a Ph-II clinical trial aimed to protect and treat blast exposed active duty personnel in the Dept. of Defense. This contract marks the third award from the ONR to SPI since 2005, bringing the total level of ONR funding to $5 million.

“This award will allow SPI to identify other protein or drug targets which will foster the development of otoprotection product pipeline,” said Jonathan Kil, Principal Investigator. SPI has developed three proprietary product pipelines for several different types of hearing loss indications including noise induced, tinnitus, chemotherapy induced and age-related hearing loss. In addition, SPI intends to apply these drug candidates to other neurodegenerative diseases including traumatic brain injury.

According to two recent studies conducted by Clarity and The Ear Foundation, approximately 50% of the 76 million Baby Boomers in the U.S. are experiencing some degree of hearing loss. These findings suggest that hearing loss has become the leading chronic disease or disorder in adults aged 45-64. In addition, approximately 25% of the hearing impaired, felt that they had reduced success at work and in earning potential. Currently there are no FDA approved drugs for the prevention and treatment of hearing loss. SPI hopes to address this unmet medical need with its first in class first in indication drug.

Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company with a focus on developing the first drugs for hearing loss and brain injury. For more information please contact Jonathan Kil, MD, President and CEO, 206-634-2559 or http://www.soundpharma.com